A fake IW371649 is a replica of IWC's 41mm Portugieser Chronograph, and the honest answer is that quality varies wildly. The good ones get the case profile, the dial layout and the subdial positions close enough that you need a loupe and a caliper to call it. The bad ones are obvious from across a table. Expect to pay roughly $300 to $800 for the top tier, and expect no warranty, no reliable water resistance and no resale value. This guide covers what the genuine reference is, how the replica tiers stack up, and where copies give themselves away.
What the genuine IW371649 is
The reference belongs to the current Portugieser Chronograph family: a 41mm steel case around 13mm thick, a clean dial with a railroad minute track, leaf-shaped hands, applied markers, and a bi-compax layout with the running seconds at 6 and a 30-minute counter at 12. The subdials sit low and high enough that they cut into the numerals, which is one of the details people either love or don't. Inside is IWC's in-house calibre 69355, a column-wheel chronograph with a display back and roughly 46 hours of power reserve. The strap is usually Santoni alligator, and the buckle carries the Probus Scafusia engraving.
The three replica tiers
- Under $150. Usually a quartz or a rough 7750 clone. Thick case, flat dial printing, hollow-feeling pushers. Skip these.
- $250 to $450. Asian Valjoux 7750 derivative. Right overall look, wrong thickness (often 14mm plus), generic strap, sloppy date and subdial alignment.
- $500 to $800. The tier people mean when they say "super clone." Better case finishing, correct subdial spacing, a decorated movement that mimics the 69355 layout. Still not the real movement, and still not waterproof.
Where the copies give themselves away
Dial and hands
I look at the hands first. Genuine leaf hands have a crisp center ridge and polished bevels that catch light in a thin line. Replicas tend to be slightly thicker, with softer edges and a wider polished flat. Next is the printing: the railroad track on a real dial is hairline fine and evenly spaced. On copies it blurs under magnification and the ticks drift.
Case and caseback
Measure the thickness. A 7750-based copy usually runs a millimeter or more over the genuine 13mm, and the caseback sits proud. The engraving on the back is another tell: real engraving is sharp and shallow, replica laser etching looks gray and slightly fuzzy. Crown knurling should be crisp enough to bite your fingertip.
Movement
Look through the display back. The genuine 69355 has a column wheel you can see, Geneva stripes with clean edges, and blued screws that are actually blued steel. Copies use painted screws, printed striping, and a rotor engraving that reads heavy. The chronograph pusher feel is the giveaway you can test without opening anything: a real column wheel starts and stops with a light, clean click. A 7750 derivative feels mushy and needs a firmer push.
What to ask a seller before you pay
- Exact case diameter and thickness in millimeters, measured, not copied from a spec sheet.
- Which movement, and whether the chronograph is functional or a decorated dummy.
- Photos of the actual watch, not factory renders, with the caseback included.
- Whether the bracelet or strap is included and what buckle it comes with.
- Return policy in writing, since most of these arrive with a flaw you only see in person.
The legal and practical side
Counterfeit watches carrying a trademark are illegal to sell in the US, and shipments get seized by customs. Buying one for yourself is lower risk legally but carries real practical costs: no service network, parts that don't interchange with anything, and a watch that can't be resold honestly. If water resistance matters, treat any replica as splash-only no matter what the listing claims.
Bottom line
A fake IW371649 can look convincing on a wrist at arm's length, and the top tier is genuinely well finished for the money. It is not the same watch. Judge it on case thickness, hand finishing, movement feel and seller transparency, and buy with the assumption that you're getting a $600 object, not a $9,000 one.